Chapter 26
A quick glance at the watch revealed that it was high time to prepare dinner. So Louisa busied herself preparing fish, vegetables and potatoes. She owed Joan a decent meal, after all she'd done for her lately.
While the fish was cooking in the oven and Louisa was chopping the vegetables, her mobile rang again. Still trying to do some tasks, she took it with one hand, while muddling around with the other.
"Yeah?"
"Miss Glasson? Louisa?"
"Oh hello Martin. How are you?"
"A bit tired. Physio is far more exhausting than I thought. After all, I didn't even move myself, really, but the muscles were moved to strengthen them. It seems, even that is a bit too much for me right now."
"When they want to restore your muscles, they have to start slowly. Don't be impatient."
"I feel so … "
"So what?"
Bloody useless, was on Martin's mind, but he couldn't bring himself to admit it. "Tired." He said instead. "That's why I asked them to inform you that you needn't come. After physio, I slept until the meal, and I'm tired again already."
"You're sure that's the only reason why I shouldn't come?"
"What else?"
"What I said yesterday?"
"No. Quite alright. Actually…"
"Yes?"
"I started to read the journals that were in the bag you brought me."
"The ones from your bedside table."
"How would I know?"
"Must be the ones. Did you like them?"
"Yes. Very interesting. An article to use small gas molecules, which naturally act as transmitters, to slow down metabolism to gain time in case of needed transplants or with heart attacks. Seems to be an interesting new approach to…"
"BUGGER!"
"It's OK, I understand. You're not interested. No reason to…"
"No, Martin! Not you, but I'm trying to prepare dinner while holding the mobile and now the potatoes are scattered all over the kitchen floor."
"Oh. Maybe I better ring off. I'm consuming too much of your time."
"Please stop! Nothing like that. I'm glad to hear from you."
"But if you're cooking your meal…"
"Not just for me. Joan is coming over. I thought, as I don't have to drive to Plymouth today, I can repay her for the meals she had brought around the last days."
"Right, I see. So maybe I really better…"
"You really better tell me what I should tell the villagers. People have started to notice that I'm out of the village quite often and someone, I guess I know who, saw Joan and I coming out of your cottage. Hearing the gossip, Penhale couldn't help but mention that we might be in for a little surprise. So I'd say if we want to have any control at all about the news of your reappearance, we should act quickly."
"I don't want anyone to know what happened. It's nobody's business. As long as we don't know who's behind it, we can't be sure that whoever did this isn't from the village and he might decide to finish me off for good. Besides, I can do very well without people running around here."
"I can't keep pretending you're still gone. People get curious and it wouldn't be fair to let them worry about you any longer. I have to tell them something."
"Let's keep it vague then. Nothing about my whereabouts and nothing about my condition."
"That leaves pretty much any information out. Any suggestions what I can say."
"Uuhm…Maybe that there had been an incident, but that I'm in hospital now to recover."
"Wow, that would certainly leave us in control over what is said in the village."
"Good."
"No, I mean…that just fires everyone imagination and rumours will go into every possible direction. They will find out about your amnesia when you turn up in Portwenn anyway, so why be cagey about it? It's nothing you have to be ashamed of?"
"YOU WILL NOT TELL THEM!"
Louisa was puzzled. He hadn't yelled at her since he was back. "OK, your choice."
She could hear a relieved sigh at the other end.
"Speaking of choice, I have another thing for you to think about."
Martin groaned into the speaker.
"See, I had a call today from the head of the PCT in this district, your boss, so to speak."
"You didn't tell him…?"
"I didn't have to. He called me, because he had been informed that you had turned up and that I'm the contact person."
Martin quickly pleaded over the phone. "Don't tell him about my…"
"…amnesia?" Louisa finished the question quietly for him. "Didn't have to. He has seen your case report."
"Gawd!"
"Don't be upset. You know, you also studied with him and he has a high regard for you. He just called to find out if he can count on you in the future. I promised him to ask you what I should tell him about your state, or maybe he can come down to assess the situation for himself?"
"No! I can't see anyone like this! I'm not in a state to… I mean…"
"Martin, if we can't convince Chris Parsons – that's his name – that you'll be fit to practise in the foreseeable future, he has to replace you as our GP. We both don't want that, do we? And you don't give the impression of being able when you're hiding away."
"You mean at the moment I still have my job, but he decides if I'm going to lose that as well?"
"In a way, yes…"
Right now, there was a knock at the door. A look at the clock revealed, that Joan was slightly overdue. At the same time Louisa noticed a smell from the cooker, indicating that the fish might be just a tiny bit overcooked. Some vegetables, however, still waited to be chopped and most of the potatoes still lay scattered around.
"Martin, I'm really sorry, but I have to ring off. Think about what Chris said and you'd better come up with a better statement than for the village." While talking she had switched off the cooker and opened its door, to draw the tray halfway out. Towards the front door she shouted "Coming!" While finishing her call with Martin. "He's on our side and we do need him as our ally. So be at your best. See you tomorrow!"
When Joan came in, she noticed the chaos in the kitchen, but together they had sorted it out in no time and were able to save enough, to have a decent meal.
Louisa just realised, that she had got herself into quite a commitment, and that many stressful weeks – maybe months – lay ahead of her.
To be continued…